Horse owners usually care as much for their animals' health as they do for their own. You may already be aware that feed stores often carry Himalayan salt for horses. You may just not know why you should buy a rough, pinky-brown, shiny block rather than the conventional white or reddish one you have been accustomed to.
Most people believe that salt is a necessary part of life, especially when exertion promotes perspiration. While it's true that sodium is an essential mineral, the commercial form - sodium chloride - is neither natural or healthy. It's common knowledge that many people get an overdose of this substance, which can contribute to hypertension and other health problems. Some well-known health gurus, notably the late Paul Bragg, say that what is needed is minerals, not sodium chloride.
Paul Bragg was a major voice in the opposition to common table-salt being part of a healthy diet. He himself never consumed it, even when hiking in Death Valley, the hottest place in America. He was, however, a strong advocate for supplementing the sodium naturally present in many foods with minerals. He discovered that natural salt-licks frequented by wildlife actually contained no sodium but many nutritious minerals.
The modern horse is mostly confined to a field or paddock and no longer has access to this kind of mineral deposit. It must depend on its owner to supply what it needs. Just as white table-salt is not all that healthy for people, the white blocks sold in feed stores give few of the valuable trace minerals found in unprocessed salts around the world. Even the colored 'mineral blocks' are mostly sodium chloride with several added minerals.
In contrast, the Himalayan natural variety is unprocessed and contains 84 minerals in crystalline form. The composition of the deposits where this product is mined is similar to human and animal blood in mineral content. While the animals satisfy their desire for the salty taste found in natural licks, they will also get trace minerals lacking in their pasture, forage, or feed. There are no toxins or additives which make salt hard for the body to use and to eliminate.
There is another reason that this mountain product is healthy for people and animals. The minerals all have a negative charge and are called 'ionized'. The theory is that bodies often have an overload of positive ions; minerals with a negative charge are readily drawn into the tissues, giving each individual cell nutrients it needs for growth, repair, and replenishment.
The pink crystals also taste better, which may be a minor plus. However, horse owners who love the taste on their own food may enjoy pampering their animal companions with this treat. If something that tastes good is also a boost for total health, so much the better.
Check the supplements section of your local feed store and you will probably see the semi-transparent, pinkish-brown, rough-hewn blocks that come straight from the mountains. Rather than a chemical product, this is natural sodium with all the minerals found in healthy blood in a pure, natural form. It's even free of toxins found in seawater today and thus present in seasalts.
Most people believe that salt is a necessary part of life, especially when exertion promotes perspiration. While it's true that sodium is an essential mineral, the commercial form - sodium chloride - is neither natural or healthy. It's common knowledge that many people get an overdose of this substance, which can contribute to hypertension and other health problems. Some well-known health gurus, notably the late Paul Bragg, say that what is needed is minerals, not sodium chloride.
Paul Bragg was a major voice in the opposition to common table-salt being part of a healthy diet. He himself never consumed it, even when hiking in Death Valley, the hottest place in America. He was, however, a strong advocate for supplementing the sodium naturally present in many foods with minerals. He discovered that natural salt-licks frequented by wildlife actually contained no sodium but many nutritious minerals.
The modern horse is mostly confined to a field or paddock and no longer has access to this kind of mineral deposit. It must depend on its owner to supply what it needs. Just as white table-salt is not all that healthy for people, the white blocks sold in feed stores give few of the valuable trace minerals found in unprocessed salts around the world. Even the colored 'mineral blocks' are mostly sodium chloride with several added minerals.
In contrast, the Himalayan natural variety is unprocessed and contains 84 minerals in crystalline form. The composition of the deposits where this product is mined is similar to human and animal blood in mineral content. While the animals satisfy their desire for the salty taste found in natural licks, they will also get trace minerals lacking in their pasture, forage, or feed. There are no toxins or additives which make salt hard for the body to use and to eliminate.
There is another reason that this mountain product is healthy for people and animals. The minerals all have a negative charge and are called 'ionized'. The theory is that bodies often have an overload of positive ions; minerals with a negative charge are readily drawn into the tissues, giving each individual cell nutrients it needs for growth, repair, and replenishment.
The pink crystals also taste better, which may be a minor plus. However, horse owners who love the taste on their own food may enjoy pampering their animal companions with this treat. If something that tastes good is also a boost for total health, so much the better.
Check the supplements section of your local feed store and you will probably see the semi-transparent, pinkish-brown, rough-hewn blocks that come straight from the mountains. Rather than a chemical product, this is natural sodium with all the minerals found in healthy blood in a pure, natural form. It's even free of toxins found in seawater today and thus present in seasalts.
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